Frozen
by Blodigealach
Summary: When love wass the most beautiful thing, yet the saddest too. RikuRoku


Once upon a time, there was a beautiful kingdom. The kingdom was ruled by a handsome and young King. The King was very quiet, thus people called him 'The Silent King'. The King wasn't good in expressing his feelings, yet he never talked to any of his citizens. He never asked someone to come to his castle, yet not forbid anyone who wanted to enter his castle. But no one ever dared to meet the King, thus no one ever talked with him.

Years by years passed. The King was being very lonely. He thought that no one loved him, and he became more and more lonely. And since no one ever be so dared to come to the castle, the King was never been talked to anyone even he wanted to.

One day, the King really thought that no one loved him, that every one hated him. Then he spoke the most forbidden thing to be spoken. He cursed his kingdom, along with himself.

"Let this Kingdom freeze, as I will freeze my heart. Why have I loved someone if no one loved me? Let this land is being hated by everyone, like I was hated by everyone…"

Since that day, every day in the kingdom was winter. The kingdom was being more beautiful, but dead as well. Its citizens left the kingdom, and the kingdom was being empty. Thus, that kingdom was being called 'The Kingdom That Never Was' by the travelers or the villagers around there, and no one ever dared to stepped to that kingdom.

But one day, a young traveler passed a village near that kingdom. He walked towards the kingdom with no fear. An old man who once lived in the kingdom stopped him immediately.

"Don't go there! It's a cursed, deadly kingdom!" scolded the old man.

"I just want to see the King of that kingdom," said the young traveler calmly.

"The King was the one who cursed his own kingdom. He's a scary person, and you'll be killed if you meet him," said the old man.

"Is the King still in his kingdom?" asked the young traveler curiously.

"Yes. He's the only one that left in that cursed kingdom. He stays alone in his scary castle," said the old man.

"Then I shall meet him. I'm sure he'll accept me in his castle," said the young traveler calmly, before he stepped again to the kingdom.

"Young man, I know I couldn't stop you, but at least tell me your name so I can pray for your luck and safety," said the old man.

The young traveler smiled and said, "My name is Roxas." Then he disappeared beyond the fog of the kingdom.

Roxas found no difficulty to find the castle, despite the cold that bit his entire body. At least, he reached the castle's door and knocked it softly.

Knock. Knock.

The door swung open and revealed a silver-haired boy behind it. The boy stared at Roxas with his ice-colored eyes.

"Who are you? What do you want?" asked the boy.

Roxas smiled and said, "I'm Roxas, a traveler. I want to see the King."

The boy stood still for seconds, until he opened the door widely and let Roxas in. Surprisingly, inside the castle was very warm, unlike the outside. He led him to the living room without any word, then left to take some tea and cookies.

"Where is the King?" asked Roxas curiously.

"He's not in his place right now," said the boy with no tone.

"What is your name?" asked Roxas.

"Riku," said the boy with the exactly same expressionless tone.

"When will the King come back?" asked Roxas again.

"I don't know," said Riku. Thus, the conversation happened and the chatted until the sun set on the horizon.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go back to the village. It's already night," said Roxas.

"Will you come again?" asked Riku.

Roxas smiled and said, "I will come again. I haven't seen the King yet." And Riku walked him to the door before he said goodbye to Roxas and swung the door closed.

The next day, Roxas did come again. "Where is the King?" asked Roxas.

"He's not in his place right now," said Riku. But Roxas stayed at the castle and chatted with Riku until the sun set again and he went back to the village. This thing happened again and again until 6 days. Slowly but sure, the kingdom started to be warm again. But no one realized it.

At the seventh day, Roxas met again with the man he had met at the first day. He was quite surprised because he never thought that Roxas could get out from that kingdom alive.

"Have you met the King yet?" asked the old man.

"Not yet. He's never been in his place every time I went there. But I've met his apprentice, and we did talk much," said Roxas.

"But I never heard that the King has an apprentice. How does he look like?" asked the old man.

"He has long silver hair as snow, blue eyes as ice, and beauty face as the kingdom. And he said that his name was Riku," said Roxas. The old man was shocked.

"He _is_ the King!! Riku, the Silent King of the Kingdom That Never Was!! You _have_ met the King!!" screamed the old man. But Roxas still walked towards the kingdom.

"Why do you still go there? You have met the King!! Your goal has achieved!" cried the old man desperately.

"He didn't tell me that he is the King, so consider it as I haven't met the King," said Roxas coldly.

Deep down inside, Roxas knew that Riku was the King. He knew that Riku lied to him. But everything he wanted was to break the curse that bound the kingdom and the King. All of these matters were simply because of one thing. _Roxas loved Riku. _And as far as he knew, the only thing that could break the curse is the pure love towards the King.

Even he knew that he would never understand about the King's feeling, even he knew that he had no heart to knew those sort of feelings, even he knew that he's just a heartless doll, but yet he still walked to the castle. He wanted to meet Riku, the King. He wanted him to know his feeling, even if it wasn't as real as the heartbeats that he often heard from Riku's chest. But at least, though he had no real heart inside his void chest, he knew that his feeling towards that cold yet warm boy was real.

This time, Roxas knocked the door harshly, but as usual Riku swung the door open softly. Roxas stared straight at Riku with his blue eyes, as he blamed the older boy just with his eyes.

"Welcome," said Riku as he smiled softly to him.

"Where is the King?" asked Roxas. His tone wasn't as curious as before. It heard more likely that he's mad.

"He's not in his place right now," answered Riku with the same answer as before.

"Riku, answer me honestly this time; Are you the King?" asked Roxas straightly. Riku froze. He stared back to Roxas with widen eyes.

"Are you the Silent King, the ruler of this kingdom?" asked Roxas with hard tone. Riku still froze.

"Why did you lie to me?! Why did you always tell that the King wasn't in his place every time I came here?! Why did you never tell me that you _are_ the King?!" cried Roxas again. Riku bit his lower lip. His body trembled badly, as if he was buried in the snow.

"Tell me, Riku!! Are you the King?!" cried Roxas.

Riku closed his eyes, the blue eyes that never lied. He took a very deep breath and said, "Yes… I _am_ the King."

They only stared to each other in silence. No word was slipped out from their mouth. They stood still, as two stone statues. No one spoke, until the sun set and Riku swung the door closed.

Roxas stood still in front of the door. He never thought that things would screw up like that. He admitted that it's good that there's no fight then, but it's worse because no one talked. He wanted to say something, at least a goodbye, but there's no word came out from his mouth. All were silent.

Thus Roxas turned and walked back to the village, leaving the castle and the lonely King alone on his throne.

Riku was very sad. His heart hurt very much. He didn't know which one he had to regret; his lie or his honesty. He regretted them both. He couldn't even say an apology to the young traveler at all. He couldn't even say a goodbye. He was afraid if Roxas would really left, but then he knew that it couldn't be avoided again. Roxas would surely left, and he would be alone again, in his frozen kingdom. He cried out of his mind along the night, until the sun rose on the horizon…

…and he heard a soft knock on his door, the soft knock that he always waited. The same soft knock that calmed his heart every morning since the young traveler came. Riku rushed to the door, almost opened it.

But then, he thought again about all the things they had shared. There's no way Roxas would come again. He had met the King, and he was so sure that the one who knocked on his door wasn't Roxas. Disgracefully, he swung the door open.

"Hello…" said the young golden-haired traveler shyly. Riku couldn't believe his own eyes. It's Roxas who stood up in front of his door, who knocked on his door. Riku lost his words. He only stood still and stared at the younger boy with shocked yet happy face.

Roxas stared back at Riku. He could see how awful Riku was. His eyes were red, eyes of a person who cried out all night long and lack of sleep. His hair wasn't combed, and he also sure that he hadn't changed his clothes yet since the last time they met. Roxas felt guilty because he forced Riku to tell him what he didn't want to tell.

"Why do you come?" asked Riku, almost with blaming tone to Roxas. Roxas suddenly jumped and hugged Riku tightly in his arms. Riku was shocked but he didn't do anything. He just simply let Roxas embraced him like that. Roxas could hear Riku's heartbeats, the one that he always wanted as a doll.

"Roxas… why do you come?" asked Riku softly.

"I thought you won't come again. I thought you have had enough of me. I thought you're angry to me. So why do you still come?" asked Riku again.

"Because I love you, that are all," answered Roxas. His voice echoed in the corridor and Riku's heart.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

Riku never thought that he would ever hear those three words. He always thought that no one loved him, but now there was. And that person is a young traveler who he never knew until then.

"…but you are too late…" whispered Riku. Roxas wasn't sure of what he heard.

"What did you say?" asked Roxas curiously. Riku stared at him with such unreadable expression. Sadness, anger, regrets… everything just swirled around in Riku's chest.

"Roxas… what you're seeing now is not more than just a phantom. I'm not here. I never lied about that the King is not in his place right now… about that I'm not here…" Roxas stared at him with widen eyes. He didn't want to hear the truth. He didn't want Riku to say the truth.

"Don't you dare—"

"Roxas… I'm already dead. You know it, don't you?" said Riku sadly. Roxas squeezed Riku's arms. He tried to feel the warmth under his skin, but he couldn't. Riku was very cold, yet he could feel that what he touched was a human body.

"But I _heard_ your heartbeat!! You're _alive_!!" cried Roxas desperately. Riku shook his head.

"It's _your_ heartbeat, not mine. I've froze mine long time ago. Have you forgotten the story?" said Riku plainly. Roxas shook his head, trying not to believe what Riku and the old man said.

"No way… No way!! I'm a doll!! How can I have a heart?!" said Roxas in protest. Riku smiled gently and sing a song for him.

"_Once upon a time_

_There's a King with ice heart_

_He wanted a friend_

_But he had not_

_So he made a lovely doll_

_That could warm everyone's heart_

_But that doll was empty_

_Thus it could not move_

'_What should I do?' asked the King_

'_He has to have a heart_

_So he can be alive_

_And travel around the world_

_To warm everyone's heart!'_

_The King thought and thought_

_Until he found a crazy way_

_He ripped his ice heart_

_And put it in the doll's chest_

'_I may be dead' said the King_

'_But at least my doll not_

_He may only has an ice heart_

_But once the ice melted_

_He can have the real one'_

_With his little magic_

_He sent the doll away_

_While it was still sleeping_

_Then the King dead_

_Though his soul cannot rest_

_His phantom remained on his throne_

_Waiting for the doll to come home_

_Waiting to hear_

_His doll's heartbeat"_

"Have you forgotten this song, this lullaby I sang before I sent you away?" asked Riku. Roxas had no word inside his head. He didn't know how to react.

He remembered all of the song. In fact, he sang it every night since he opened his eyes. But he never thought that it's all about him and the young King in front of him.

"What should I do?" cried Roxas. The presence of his beloved King felt fainter and fainter.

"Live, Roxas. Live. Live for me and for this kingdom…" Riku started to fade. His entire body shone and shattered into tiny pieces and scattered to the air. Roxas couldn't hold his tears anymore. He cried badly as Riku laid a faint yet warm kiss to his forehead.

"_Thank you for everything, Roxas. I love you too…"_

The last whisper of the King flew with the wind, along with his soul. It scattered through the entire kingdom, and melted all the ice and snow. Soon, the spring came magically, as the kingdom shown another of its beauty to the world. The villagers who saw that hold their breath as they saw how the flowers bloomed once again, more beautiful than they could remember.

Thus all the villagers came back to the kingdom joyfully. They praised the young traveler, yet they also thanked their former King. If the King never shown them what winter was, they would never understand how beautiful spring was.

But even with all that happiness, Roxas didn't stay. He left the kingdom just before everyone moved in.

"I will spread the warm to the world, as Riku wanted. I won't break his hope…" And with that thought, he traveled around the world, once again.

_the end_


End file.
